Sickle shoe and diverter



C. VAN AUSDALL SICKLE SHOE AND DIVERTER April 7, 1953 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 17 1951 INVENTOR. CA'RL l/fl/V AusDA 1.1.

Patented Apr. 7, 195 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .SICKLE SHOE ANI) DIVERTER Carl Van Ausdall, Liberty, Ind. Application July 17', 1951," Serial No. 237,107

The present invention" relates to a shoe and diverter for attachment toa mower of the sickle variety, incorporating a reciprocating cutter or knife. v

object of the invention is to provide improved andsimplified means for diverting cuttings from the path of advancement of the tractor upon which the sickle is mounted, so as to avoid accumulations which mightinterferewith properoperation of'the tractororthe sickle.

. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to ensure uninterrupted mowing operations, by effective diversionof cuttings away from vital operating parts of the sickle, its driving mechanism, and the motor and other vital parts of the tractor upon which the sickleisv mounted.

1 Another object is to provide an improved shoe and diverter construction which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and which, may be attached to a sickle or removed therefrom with ease and dispatch v A further object of the invention is theelimination of driven parts in the performance of the divertingaction, thereby to enhance safety of usage and reduce maintenance and servicing .requirements, and. in addition, conserve power that would otherwise be demanded of the tractor engine H v The foregoing and other objectsare attained bythe means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

.Fig. 1 is -a fragmentary top plan view of a sickle type of mower, withthe shoe and diverter ofthe invention ap'pliedthereto.

l 'ig. 2 is a perspective view, on a greatly reduced scale, showing a garden tractor (minus the motor) upon'which the'assembly of Fig. 1 may be mounted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, in side ele- Claims. (Cl. 56'314) tures of the sickle and its driving relationship with the tractor, these being matters more or less foreign to the present invention, except in a general way.

I With reference to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a sickle comprising the usual reciprocating knife assembly 6, mounted slidingly upon a cutter bar I which carries the guards 8, and their associated stationary cutters, not shown. As is customary, the knife assembly reciprocates in a longitudinal way, and the knives thereof are held in shearing relation to the sta tionary cutters by means of hold-down plates 9 having arched fingers H! which bear upon the movable knives as shown. The usual wear plates for guiding the reciprocating knife assembly, are indicated at 12.

To support the cutter bar above ground level, opposite ends of the bar are provided with shoes i3 and 14. These shoes are adjustable upon the cutter bar, to vary the height above ground level at which the. cuttingwillbe performed. The details of the shoes will be disclosed at length hereinafter, particularly as to the special shoe is which forms part of the present invention.

' The operating mechanism for the knives of the sickle may include a main frame 15 generally U-shaped in transverse section, having upwardly divergent side walls It and I1, and a substantially horizontal bottom wall E8, the forward end of which is fixed to a heavy reinforcing or strengthening plate 19, which in turn is secured flatwise to the cutter bar 1, preferably to one side of center as shown. The connection between plate It and cutter bar I, may be efiected by means of bolts, rivets, or other fastening means 2E1. By means of this connection, the sickle proper receives rigid support from the main frame 15,

' which may be formed from heavy metal sheet.

vation, showing the shoe and diverter, detached from the sickle.

Fig. 4 is a front elevationalview of the deviceillustrated by Fig. 3, lookingfrom left to right,

the figure being on a reduced scale.

Fig, 5" s a top plan view of a modified form of divrter, adapted to divide the vegetation and divert'it in opposite lateral directions. v

[The de'vice'of the present invention constitutes a departure from thedevlce dlsclosedin my issued Patent No. 2,509,114, dated May- 23, 1950, principally'as to the-construction of the means 'At a short distance above the bottom wall iii of the frame l5, a strut or brace 25 may be located between the side walls, to form a rigid support for a pivot 22 carrying the rocker bar M. The

strut or b race inayconsist of a short length of employed fordivertingfcuttings. f In other'reknife assembly 6, in performance of the cutting information desired concerning structural feaangle iron having its opposite ends welded to the frame side walls,'or otherwise fixedly secured thereto. The forward end of the rocker bar carries a head or bearing 23 embraced between two upstanding fixed lugs 25-25 formed on a bracket 26 which is attached to the reciprocating knife assembly 6. As will readily be understood, horizontal rocking of the bar 24 about the pivot 22, will enforce longitudinal reciprocation of the action of the sickle.

Actuation of the rocker bar may be eifected by means of a pitman 21, one end of which has a clevis head 28 pivoted to the rear end of the rockor bar at 29, whereas the opposite end of the pitman has a pivotal connection 30 upon a rotatable wheel 3|, the connection being eccentric so that rotation of the wheel 3| about the aXis of its supporting shaft 32 results in oscillation of the pitman. The length of the pitman may be adjusted by means of the nut 33, to register the knives and cutters. By means of a pair of gears 34 and 35, rotation of a drive pulley 38 may be transmitted to the eccentric or wheel 3!, through shafts 3! and 3'2. The driving mechanism above described may be enclosed within a protective housing 38, 39, which may also carry lubricant for the gears and shafts.

As fully set forth in my aforesaid issued Patent No. 2,509,114, the sickle is to be quickly attachable to the garden tractor of Fig. 2. The tractor includes a frame 40 carrying a traction wheel 4!, handles-d2, and a forwardly extending plate 43 which serves to support a suitable motor,

not shown. By means of a belt and pulley arrangement, power from the rnotor may be transmitted to the driving pulley 45 which has geared connection with the traction wheel.

The motor mounting plate 43 includes opposed depending lips or side aprons 48, notched as at ii- 38, to accommodate the transverse mounting bars of the sickle, indicated at 58 and of Fig. 1. These bars or shafts are fixed in spaced parallele ism, to the main frame of the sickle. Preferably, the bars or shafts are secured to outwardly directed flanges or lips 52 and 523 of the main frame, and corresponding ends E i-e55 thereof adjustably support the gear housing 381-35, as fully explained in my issued patent aforesaid. A plurality of holes 56 are drilled transversely and ertically through the bars near their ends, to accommodate bolts or other. fasteners which enter also the plurality of correspondingly spaced holes 57 drilled or formed in the motor mounting plate 43, these latter holes terminating in the notches 41-48. The construction just described provides for detachable mounting of the Fig. l sickle as-. sembly upon the motor mounting plate 43 of Fig. 2. When the sickle assembly is so moun; ted,'it may be driven from the tractor motor bya suitable e ra n Over th tor ull y an the pulley 35 of Fig. 1, as will be understood. I

It may er o nte out hat he mote mounting plate of the tractor has a series of elongated holes or slots 58, preferably four or more in number, adapted to receive bolts by which the motor base is securely fixed upon the mounting plate. One of such bolts, as will be explained later, can be used as an anchoragefor the diverter presently to be described.

The improved shoe and diverter of the present invention may be applied to either end of the cutter bar, although in the preferred arrange ment it is applied to that end which is nearest to the motor'mounting plate. The shoe, indi cated at l3, has a forward toe portion 60 which gradually turns upwardly, and by preference, though not of necessity, terminates in a point: 6 l.

The heel of the shoe likewise turns upwardly, and

is indicated at 62. Intermediate the toe and the, heel, the shoe carries a fixed upstanding threaded stud 63, the head end of which may be anchored in a boss 64 which is iormed integral with,

the shoe. Spacers 65 on the stud may be inthe; form of removable washers upon which the cut ter bar rests, the number and the thicknessot 4 the spacers determining the height at which the sickle is supported above ground level. A nut 66, Fig. i, secures the cutter bar to the shoe stud, the stud passing through a vertical hole provided in the cutter bar.

At the toe portion of the shoe, rearwardly of the pointed end 6 I the shoe has a pair of spaced upstanding wings 61, each of which may be approximately triangular in shape, with apices 68 directed upwardly. Near the apex of each wing, and at a lower point below, the wings are drilled transversely to provide apertures 69'and ID for the reception of bolts or other fasteners H and i2. The channel or space i3 between the wings is. adapted to receive the anchorage ends of certain parts which constitute the diverter, and at the rear portion of the wings the space is properly dimensioned, at 14, to receive the point of the endmost cutter guard which is indicated at 1.5, upon Fig. 1. With the point of guard 15 inserted into the shoe space at 14, and the stud 53 secured to the cutter bar by nut. 65, the shoe is securely locked to. the sickle in position to slide over the earth. The shoe may be providedwith a longitudinal upstanding reinforcing rib 16, if desired.

The wings of the shoe are adapted to embrace between them the anchorage. ends of the-diverter constituents, one of which is a bent metal rod, it having an eye 13 formed on its lower end. The eye fits between the wings, and through it passes the upper bolt or fastener H, \vhichprovides a firm connection. The second bent, metal rod, indicated at. 19., forms another constituent of the diverter, and has an, eye, formed inter mediate its ends to receive the bolt 0 r fastener 72. This eye tillikewise is embraced, by the wing of the shoe.

Immed at y ah ad of the ey 18,, he rod 11 is directed forwardly of the shoe, beyond the toe point GI, and is turned upwardly to form an ap.- proximate half-loop 8|.- which. rests in a substan,-.. tially vertical plane, or in the approximateplane of the channel .3.- ,At the top of the, loop, a, bend isf rme ch. directs the. head portion 8.3 of the rod obliquely to one side of, shoe, and sl y a d y. o a ocation 84: at which. an. p g m te u r r-cir le bend directs the rod downwardly alo e n, appro ma e y vertical. line.

to form the inner end reach 85 of the diverter as a ho he er inal. dof the reach. 8.51 s turned at. a ap ro m e i ht a le. rearwardly and toward the I w e said n s e loped. n o. an eye. 86. which rests in a t n iall zontal. lane. This eye is adapted to receive therein one of the bolts,

to the height of bend 8A. oye the-terminal eye,

86. The head-portion 831thereore, is etiyete. divert u ings away rom; the. tract r motor.

which motor 's ca e i r arward-1 of; theme-.85..

A c mps-r e of Elia--1 W thfig. 2 will reveal. that ye ii -ll esister wit he. fie elso by. :erence; F g; 2- Transit,

verti al-plane o the. shoe...

This shaped.

slot: 58;which.is-.iden,. haracter unon. v dent; tlati hel diverter, head;

ass-seas .5 portion 83 completely spans the tractor and its motor. I

The second rod 19 of the diverter is a shaker member. It may have one or more free terminal ends, such as 81 and 88, disposed remotely from the anchorage point 12, which renders the arms or branches vibratory in character because of the inherent resiliency of the rodmetal, The rod 19 may be of one single piece, if desired, bent approximately at its middle to provide the eye 80. Rearwardly of the eye 88, the upper armor branch is bent at 89 inwardly in the general direction of head portion 83, and upwardly to the extent that the free end 81 of its straight portion 98 terminates approximately within the bend 84 of the head portion. The other arm or lower branch has a bend at 9| directing the straight portion 92 slightly downwardly (see Fig. 4)} the free end 88 thereof'terminating below but slightly ahead of the eye 86 of the outer frame portion of the diverter. All of the straight'portions 83, 98 and 92 may be disposed approximately in an oblique plane which is approximately ver-' tical or perhaps slightly inclined forwardly and upwardly, as indicated upon the top plan view of Fig. 1; however, all the rods are bendable to somewhat varied co-relationships which may be selected bythe user as being most appropriate to meet any particular diverting problem or con-= dition. The relative disposition of the parts as herein set forth, is considered approximately-correct for general usage of the diverter.

It may here be pointed out that the'bolt or fastener 12 which secures the vibratory diverter 98, 92 to the shoe, may be permitted to remain loose so as not to rigidly clamp the eye 88 between the shoe wings. This induces a maximum'amount of action in the diverter as the sickle is operated, and serves to keep the cuttings in motion for rapid and certain diversion. The bolt H which anchorsthe stationary outer frame portion of thediverter at the shoe, may preferably be, securely tightened upon the eye 18 to furnish a firm anchorage. In addition, the apices 88 of the triangular wings may be pounded inwardly over the eye, as shown upon Fig. 3, to.

further lock the eye 18 to the shoe.

As was stated previously herein,'a second shoe i4 is provided at the opposite end of thecutter bar. This second shoe may be conventional in character, or it may closely resemblethe shoe l3, if desired, particularly as concerns the mountin thereof upon the cutter bar and the guard 8. It may be noted that the shoes, l4 and [3 are interchangeable, so that one may be substituted for the other in'the event that cuttings are to be diverted in a direction opposite to that which results from the present disclosure. Any such reversal or interchange of shoes, however, will require re-bending of the diverter rods to fit the changed situation.

It is sometimes desirable to apply a diverter to the sickle at some point intermediate the ends of the cutter bar, so as to divide the standing or uncut vegetation and divert it outwardly in opposite directions toward the ends of the cutter bar. A diverter for this purpose is illustrated by Fig. 5, wherein the shoe I3 is exactly the same as previously described herein, but the diverter rod structure is duplicated at opposite sides of the shoe. Referring specifically to Fig. 5, 6i indicates the pointed toe of the shoe over which is extended the half-circular loop 8|, as in Fig. 3. At the location of the outward bend 82, the diverter rod 11 branches out in opposite directhe. forward end vibratory or shaker rods, likewise, are duplicated at opposite sides of the shoe, and as'indicated at 98, 92 and 88, 92 of Fig. 5, these rods bear a relationship to the rods 11 which corresponds to the relationship illustrated by Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The double arrangement of Fig. 5 is easily constructed by simply welding an extra set of rods H, 98, 92 to a diverter structure such as is disclosed by Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The manner of mount ing the double diverter upon the shoe'may be the same asin the case ofFig. 3 utilizing eyes 18 and 88 secured between the spaced wings of the shoe.

As will be understood,--the shoe I3 without any change, maybe applied to any cutter guard of the sickle since the guards are all'identical and will therefore fit into the socket or channel 18 of. the shoe. When .a shoe is applied to an intermediate cutter. guard, it is necessary of course to'drill the cutter bar for accommodating the -stud 63.0f the shoe, to obtain a rigid mounting for the shoe.

7 It is important to note that the forward loop 8| of the stationary outer frame of the diverter, projects well in advance of the sickle knives or cutters, so that it performs as-a divider of standing or uncut vegetation. 1 Thus, the vegetation before actually being cut ofi by the sickle, is subjected to lateral displacement by the diverter rods. This results in an initial deflection of rooted "or uncut vegetationalong the diverter rods, which is much more positive and forceful than that of cuttings, to enforce continued progression of cuttings toward and off the trailing or rear ends of therods. Moreover, by so dividing the vegetation in advance of cutting, a very clear line of demarcation between cut and uncut vegetation is established, this being important as a guide in making an adjacent cutting path.

The improved shoe and diverter combination herein disclosed presents many advantages over prior devices heretofore proposed. It is simple and inexpensive, requires no driving power, and may be quickly and .easily' applied to and removedfrom the sickle when desired. The diverting action is highly effective, eliminating frequent stops in-the course of the mowing operation to clear cuttings from the mechanism of the sickle and vital parts of the tractor.

It is to be understood that various modifica tions and changes may be made in the structure other thanthe washers 65'may be employed to vary the'height of the sickle cutter; and the portions 83, 98, 92 of thediverter rods may be made somewhat-- curved, if desired, without defeating the intended function thereof.

I claim: 1. A combined shoe and diverter for attachment to a reciprocating cutter type sickle, comprising in combination, an elongate shoe having an upwardly curved toe, an upwardly curved heel, and an intermediate portion, a pair of spaced substantially parallel perforate wings upstanding on the shoe near the toe thereof, providing a channel in a substantially vertical plane, a cutting diverter rod having an eye at one end thereof disposed within the channel aforesaid,

7 and fastening means passing. through the eye and through the'perforaition'siof the wings, means at the opposite end of the diverter rod for anchoring same to a tractor frame, the rod between said ends being bent to an approximatehalf-loop near the eye aforesaid, said loop-resting in an upright plane above andforwardly ofthe toe of the shoe, a bend in the diverter rod beyond said loop, directing a substantially straight section of the rod obliquely to one side and rearwardly of the shoe, said straight section terminating in a downwardly turned portion carrying the afore said anchoring means, a second diverter rod: in cluding a connection with the shoe wings," and extending obliquely to one side'and rearwardly of the shoe in the same general direction as the substantially straight section of the diverter rod first mentioned, and means between-the toe and the heel of the shoe, for anchoring the shoe to a sickle cutter bar.

2. A combined shoe and diverter in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact 'that'the second diverter-rod-is long and inherently resilient, with a free end unsupported t'o induce vibratory movement thereof during operation'of the sickle. r

" 3. A combined shoe anddiverter in accordance with claim L'characterized by the fact that the connection between the second diverte'r rod and the shoe wings is above the base oi the channel formed by the'wings; leaving space at the base of the channel for insertion of a cutter guard. of the sickle. '4 q 4. A shoe for attachment to the cutter bar and cutter guard of a power sickle',said shoe comprising an elongate body having an'upwardly and forwardly directed toe, a heel turned upwardly at the rear of the shoepand an. inter mediate portion, a pair? of spaced substantially parallel perforate" wings upstanding on the" shoe near the toe thereofyproviding a channel in a substantially vertical plane, the channel. being of proper dimensions at the rear thereof to accommodate the point ofia cutter guard of a sickle, and means between the toe and the heel or the shoe, for anchoring the shoe to a sickleeutter" bar. I

5. An attachment for use with a tractor-sup-' ported reciprocating cutter type sickle including a cutter bar and an endmost cutter guard; said attachment comprising a shoe having means thereon for connecting the same to said guard, a plurality of diverter arms extending from the shoe adjacent one end thereof and extending laterally obliquely therefrom, and at least one diverter arm extending from said shoe obliquely and overlying the other said arms and having means at its opposite end for connectiontosaid tractor.

6. An attachment for use with a tractor-supported reciprocating cutter type sickle includinga cutter bar and an endmost cutter guard; said attachment comprising a shoe having means attachment comprising a remote from the shoe for thereon for connecting the same to said guard, a "plurality of diverter arms extendihglaterally obliquely from-the shoe, the arms each having an end mounted upon the shoe, and at least one diverter arm extending from said shoe obliquely and overlying the other arm, said one overlying arm being directed beyond the other arm a distance suflicient to substantially span the width of the tractor, and means at the opposite end of said one diverter arm for connection thereof to said tractor. a

7. An attachment for use with a tractor-supported reciprocating cutter type sickle including a cutter bar and a series of cutter-guards; said attachment comprising a shoe having means thereonfor connecting the same to one of said guards, at least one vibratory diverter arm extending laterally obliquely from the shoe and having one end loosely mounted upon the shoe to induce vibratory action of the arm incident to movements of the sickle when operating, the other end of said one arm being free to'vibrate, a main diverter arm overlying the vibratory diverter arm first mentioned, means mounting one end of the main diverter arm upon the shoe, and means to anchor the other end of said main diverter arm to said tractor.

8-.An attachment as specified in claim '7, wherein the intermediate section of the 'main diverter arm is extended, .tosubstantially span the widthof the tractor.

9. An attachment for use with a tractor-"sum ported reciprocating cutter type sickle including a cutter bar and a series of cutter guards, said shoe having means thereon for connecting the same to a guard located intermediate the ends' of the: cutter bar,

a plurality of diverter arms extending fromthe' shoe laterally obliquely therefrom and in generally opposite directions from the major axis of the shoe, and at least one diverter arm at each side of the shoe axis extending from said slide obliquely and overlying the other said arms, said overlying arms having means at their ends connection to said tractor.

10. An attachment according to claiin- 9, wherein the diverter arms extend from the shoe at locations" which are ahead of the cutter bar.

CARL VAN AUSDAIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

